Beirut- A Lebanese army source said Wednesday that Israeli jets fired shots near a German ship patrolling the Lebanese waters as part of its UN peacekeeping mission. The source said: "Israeli jets provoked the incident and fired shots low over the German vessel prompting the German force to go on high alert."

According to UN sources in southern Lebanon, the incident was being investigated by the German side and the UN force in southern Lebanon. The sources did not elaborate.

The United Nations peacekeeping Force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) command has warned that Israeli overflights over Lebanon endanger the UN mission.

Israeli jets have intensified over the past few days flights over the country by flying at low altitude and staging mock raids over areas in southern Lebanon and over the capital.

Germany is currently heading the naval force which is monitoring the Lebanese coast to prevent any arms smuggling to the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah.

Israel has launched a wide-scale offensive against Hezbollah on July 12. The hostilities came to an end after the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1701 on August 14.

The resolution calls for a ceasefire and the deployment of UN troops alongside the Lebanese army to monitor the border with Israel and prevent Hezbollah from launching attacks against the Jewish state.

The resolution also stipulates that a UN Naval force monitor the coast of Lebanon to prevent arms shipment to the Shiite movement.